OK, I'm trying flakes for the first time. I'm attempting to make a 1# cut.
So I poured 2 cups of alkie-haul in a quart jar, then I measured out 2 oz. of flakes using a cheapo diet scale. I ground up the flakes in SWMBO's handy-chopper. Hope she doesn't mind. :)
Then I added the flakes to the alkie-haul and commenced shaking. At first I thought it was completely insane to think that you could ever dissolve the dry equivalent of about 3 cups of powder in 2 cups of liquid. I shook, and shook, and shook, and nothing happened.
I let it sit a minute or two, then I did a new round of shaking. After about four good sloshes, something magic happened right before my eyes. Instead of brown liquid on top of a conblafulation of gooey looking, translucent flakes sticking to everything, I suddenly had a jar full of what looks like coffee with a drop of milk added to it. Amazingly, it's only something like 18 fl. oz.
Is it actually done that fast? I was under the impression it took days weeks to dissolve fully. I see all the knees and elbows and stuff I need to get rid of at the bottom. I'm thinking I might ought to just let it sit for a good bit and then pour off the liquid into another jar. Decant and de-knee in one step.
I'm also thinking, come to think of it, that 1# cut is a little annoying to use. I should add a little more. Maybe another ounce to make a 1.5# cut. I think that's what I wound up with last time, with the Bullseye stuff. 3# was too thick, 1# was so thin that I had to do 30 coats just to get the film to rise above miniscule undulations in the wood grain. So yes, I think I'll go add another ounce of flakes while I've got everything out anyway.
Anyway, this was pretty painless if it was that easy. And this should probably still be good until the first of May, at least?
I can't wait to see what color this comes out. I had the impression that "orange" shellac was more of an amber poly type color, but it's more like coffee. It ought to be good for making purplish KD walnut look more like walnut is supposed to look, but it might be too overpowering on maple or mahogany. I'll have to try it and find out, won't I? :)
When can I try it? Can I try it now? Tomorrow? Friday? Once it has apparently dissolved, is that the end of the prep work and time to get out some raw wood to play with? Or do I probably have a huge glob of undissolved lurking in there, which keeps sloshing out of view, and will only reveal itself after this brew has settled completely?